CARMEL – Despite a 1.1 percent decline in Carmel’s town tax rate for 2027, officials are forecasting residents in the greater Carmel, Mahopac and Mahopac Falls area will be paying more in town taxes next year due to increases in assessment.
The proposed budget follows the state-mandated two percent property tax cap and, according to Town Comptroller Mary Ann Maxwell, is $1 million higher than current fiscal-year spending.
“If a property owner’s assessed value didn’t increase, per the proposed budget, a homeowner with a property valued at $542,780 would pay $2,171 next year, which is a $27 decrease from 2026,” Maxwell said. “Most residents will not see a reduction in their tax bills since property values have increased resulting in higher assessments.”
Supervisor Michael Cazzari, who is retiring at year’s end, said he and the town board “worked to keep the budget as tight as possible, taking into account labor, health care, operation costs – all the things that go into running a town.”
On the expenditure side, contractual employee salary benefits make up 76.8 percent of the budget. The public safety budget reflects a 5.6 percent increase, including $13.9 million for the police department, as well as New York State retirement pension costs, and police overtime that has increased.
The budget also proposes funding the Mahopac Library and Reed Library in Carmel each with $40,000.
The town board had scheduled a public hearing on the budget November 4.
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